The Catalyst

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Every November is Diabetes Awareness Month – a time to reflect on the progress we have made in treating the nearly 26 million Americans with the chronic disease. We take stock of new treatments, awareness, better adherence to diabetes medications and ask ourselves, “what more can we do?” to better treat this serious public health concern.

Ryan Hohman of Friends of Cancer Research authored a guest post this week that echoed our own thoughts stating, “Open collaboration is often the best route to innovation and improved outcomes for patients.”

Since 2000, biopharmaceutical companies have brought more than 450 new innovative medicines to the U.S. market, resulting in significant progress against some of the most costly and challenging diseases. Yet, prescription drug spending in the U.S. has remained constant and federal projections show growth is in-line with health care spending through the next decade.

November is National Lung Cancer Awareness Month, a time to reflect upon the disease’s enormous human cost. This month, some 18,600 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer and approximately 13,000 Americans will be killed by it. It is, by a wide margin, the most common cause of cancer death in the United States.

Earlier this week, the Kaiser Family Foundation released new research about the deductibles in different health insurance exchange plans. The study found for bronze or silver plans patients often have to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket due to high combined deductibles.

Patients are living longer, healthier lives thanks to biopharmaceutical innovation. But, as evidenced by a new study released yesterday by the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, the road to bringing a new FDA-approved medicine to patients is long and the costs are formidable.

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” Real change and progress, as Dr. Seuss suggests, starts with passionate individuals who want to make a difference. This is obvious from the dedicated researchers around the world working tirelessly to find new treatments that help patients with devastating diseases like gastrointestinal (GI) cancers.

The discovery and development of new medicines for patients is a comprehensive, data-driven process that requires years of research. At the heart of this endeavor is the clinical trial, the rigorous and highly-regulated scientific study of potential new medicines.

The fantastic news came yesterday that Dr. Craig Spencer, the last patient in the U.S. with Ebola, has been cured. While this development certainly inspires hope, there is still much to be done in West Africa before we can celebrate the end of this dangerous disease that has already taken nearly 5,000 lives.

This morning, PhRMA joined Morning Consult to host a panel of experts discussing where health care coverage stands now and where we need to go. The conversation was spurred by a recent poll Morning Consult produced on behalf of PhRMA that asked 1,908 registered voters their thoughts about health coverage.

You’ve probably heard about the Affordable Care Act, health insurance exchanges or even the health insurance marketplace. But what does it all mean? Health insurance exchanges or the marketplace offer an alternative source to purchase health coverage if you don’t buy it on your own, receive it through your employer, or from another public program.

A national dialogue is needed around the value of new medicines and cures and the role they play in improving patient health and helping to manage long-term spending in the U.S. health care system. Unfortunately, the debate around hepatitis C has, for the most part, been twisted to the point that modern-day cures are seen as a nuisance rather than a monumental step forward in the battle against disease. (This post was updated on August 5, 2014.)

When Matt Ellefson developed a cough, he didn’t think much of it. He just assumed it was caused by the cold winter air, but as the weeks passed by his cough lingered. Then he began coughing up blood. Within hours of going to the ER, Matt was diagnosed with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, and the prognosis wasn’t good. With treatment, he faced a five-year survival rate of less than five percent.

When selecting health insurance coverage to suit you and your family’s needs, you may think it is safe to assume your plan will help cover the medicines prescribed by your doctor. This, however, is not always the case. Beyond making sure the treatment you need is listed on an insurance company’s list of covered medicines or formulary, there may be additional steps insurers require before you can get the medicine you were prescribed.